Island of the Panopeusians
by L-Ina C
Summary: Travelling on his makeshift raft, Odysseus stops on the island of the Panopeusians before he arrives on Ogygia.


Addition to Book 12: lines 483-485  
  
I reached the crag of Scylla and dire Charybdis' vortrex right when the dreadful whirlpool gulped the salt sea down. But heaving myself aloft to clutch at the fig-tree's height, like a bat I clung to its trunk for dear life- not a chance for a good firm foothold there, no clambering up it either, the roots too far to reach, the boughs too high overhead huge swaying branches that overshadowed Charybdis. But I held on, dead set . . . waiting for her to vomit my mast and keel back up again- Oh how I ached for both! And back they came late but at last, at just the hour a judge at court, who's settled the countess suits of brash young claimants, rises, the day's work done, and turns home for supper- that when the timbers reared back up from Charybdis. I let go- I plunged with my hands and feet flailing, crashing into the waves beside those great beams and scrambling aboard them fast I rowed hard with my hands right through the straits . . . And the father of men and gods did not let Scylla see me, else I'd have died on the spot- no escape from death.  
  
I drifted along four days. On the fifth, at night, the gods cast my makeshift raft up on an island unfamiliar to me and what could be called a 'lost island.' It was the home of the Panopeusians- tribal brutes who's culture existed far from civilized ways. As I disembarked on the foreboding shore of this small island, apprehensive of the inhabitants, I struggled hard to pull my raft ashore and disguise it in the bushes that stopped the sandy beach short. The change in the terrain was so sudden I nearly missed it in the darkness, drastic as the transformation from day to night, as the sunrise seemingly inches its way into the sky, gently bathing the countryside in warm, soft light, with the blink of an eye, the sun is well above the horizon and still reaching higher to the world's amazement, so was the surprise I experienced as I stumbled into the forest.  
  
Sleep and weariness overcoming me, I bedded down near my makeshift raft and awaited Dawn's first light. When Dawn with her rose-red fingers shown once more, the forest rising above me was much more visible than it was the previous night. The trees were distinct to any I had seen- vines hung from their branches and thick undergrowth crowded their trunks, the atmosphere was swampy. To see an island like this one in Achaea as I'm sure you all know, is a remarkable sight.  
  
Soon after I woke, I emerged from the forest to search for food on the beach. Before I heard the sound of any other human nearby, six immense heralds who claimed that their queen had sent them to find the visitor to her island who she learned of in a dream surrounded me.  
  
Being unarmed and weak in spirit, I willingly followed as they escorted me towards the village. The path was one that weaved through the landscape. Flanking it were tall trees similar to the ones I had seen when I first awoke- the thickness of the forest increased the more we moved into the center of the island, but faded out as we entered the village community.  
  
The primitive buildings were stone and thatch, small, and unwelcoming- the culture appeared to have been cut off from the rest of civilization.  
  
The queen's heralds ushered me into the front of her palace that was remarkably larger than the rest of the village. Rows of stairs led to an open, stone-floored room with a throne at the far end upon which the queen of the Panopeusians sat . . . a seemingly never-ending walk I made to the foot of that throne as I pondered my first words to Scynthania. Should I indignantly ask her why she has kidnapped me and demand my release, or say a winning word and hope to god that her intentions are not to do me any harm? Yes the second, charm her and rely on her customs of hospitality.  
  
"Welcome stranger," the friendly queen said as I approached, " to Panopeusia. I know you must be weary, please sit." In spite of the remoteness of her island, the queen did not seem unaccustomed to visitors. I heard of your arrival in a dream I had not long ago- your name is Odysseus. It told me that you would be the one who would finally come to save our village from the unbearable torment of the Theotaur- the gods work in mysterious ways."  
  
"May I ask, what kind of creature might this Theotaur be?" I inquired curiously.  
  
"The Theotaur is so huge in size and has such magnificent camouflage into his surroundings that any unsearching eye would miss him completely. He terrorizes my people by requiring one of them to be sacrificed to him once a month- it is close to the time of his periodical meal now. I must tell you, Odysseus that this giant is all brawn and no brains-he is an idiot- yet my meager villagers have not been successful in a plan of attack against Polydeuces. That is why you have been sent by the gods to help us! I need you to travel east to his swamp on the far side of the island and kill the Theotaur, Polydeuces.  
  
I Compassionately replied, "I would be very willing to help your village tribe and kill Polydeuces. I am sure that I can defeat the beast and save you and your people from any more torment." Now cautious yet confident, I, a seasoned warrior said, "But first I ask a favor of you that I might receive food and drink to nourish my tired body and spirit before I venture out to fight off the Theotaur. I have traveled a long and arduous journey before the gods cast my ship up on your remote island and I myself have endured much suffering- it was the gods will. As mortals, our fate is in the hands of the deathless ones and they do with it what they wish. Despite this, I still have faith that I will one day return to my native land."  
  
Scynthania granted my request for food and drink and bade me to rest for the day because the most opportune time that I would be able to steal into the swamp of the Theotaur, was during the early hours of the morning- a few hours before Dawn mounted her golden throne.  
  
Once I had my fill of food and drink, I lied down on a woven mat that served as a cot as welcome sleep overcame me.  
  
When the six immense heralds woke me from peaceful sleep so late at night that it was almost early, I quickly arose remembering the task at hand. The ushers escorted me out into the darkness and guided me to the foot of a path that led to the Theotaur's swamp.  
  
"Follow the trail till you enter the swamp they try to find dreaded Polydeuces," one of the immense heralds said with a slight amusement in his voice.  
  
Still waking up some, I began to make my journey down the trail. I soon realized that I had not been given a weapon. I had no intentions of turning around and asking for one because it would have made me appear weak- the Panopeusians obviously believed that I was capable of taking down the giant with my bear hands. I did not doubt their assumptions.  
  
Upon reaching the swamp, despite being warned by Scynthania, I still could not make out where Polydeuces lay, although I'm sure he was able to see me easily. I slowly crept around the outside of the bog, constantly searching for the slightest sign of life. And then right before my eyes the mud and grass and water fused together to create a body twenty feet in height gradually standing up. Fear churned in my heart.  
  
"So, Scynthania at long last decided to send another traveler down to my swamp so that I might finally eat! If she continues to delay my meals so, I'm afraid that I might have to put an end to this agreement I made with her and resume making meals of her villagers!" the giant angrily whispered to himself. The cunning queen had set a trap!  
  
I recalled the stupidity of the Theotaur that the queen had spoken of and I realized that I had a great advantage over him, regardless of my lack of weapon.  
  
"Would it be possible for you to just give up because I'm too upset to chase you around this bog?" he asked of me in an almost pathetic amusing way.  
  
"Might I ask what has gotten you so distressed?" I inquired and we sat together and talked over his troubles as a Theotaur and how uncompromising Queen Scynthania was.  
  
After some time, the idiot finally understood what I was trying to do and quickly grasped me up in his massive hand, "I'm no fool! I know that you are attempting to keep from being eaten but it's too late now!" And at the same moment, Dawn with her rose-red fingers showed once more. Through the clear sky, the beams were almost blinding and I shadowed my eyes with my hand.  
  
"How can you bear to look at the sun when it is so bright?" I ask Polydeuces with one last attempt at escape, "It would be best if you might cover your eyes." And so he followed my example and lifted his hand with me inside to shadow his eyes. This one move left me free to grab onto the dangling vines I had been admiring all across the island from one of the trees and loop it around the Theotaur's neck. The more he writhed, the tighter and more tangled the vine became. As soon as the vine wrapped tight enough to cause him to choke, his hand opened and I fell to the ground. I continued to get more and more vines and tie his massive appendages together while I still had the chance to escape.  
  
I knew the vines wouldn't hold for long but that was part of the plan. After I had the chance to leave the swamp and hurry across the island back to my makeshift raft, I heard loud human screams of despair in the direction of the village of the Panopeausians.  
  
I struggled to push my raft back into the wine dark sea and drifted along four more days. On the fifth the gods cast me up on Ogygia, Calypso's island, home of the dangerous nymph with glossy braids, who speaks with human voice, and she took me in, loved me . . . Why cover the same ground again? Just yesterday, here at hall, I told you all the rest, you and your gracious wife. It goes against my grain to repeat a tale told once, and told so clearly." 


End file.
